The Island of Cuba--Early colonists--Island aborigines--First importation of slaves--Cortez and his followers--Aztecs--The law of races--Mexican aborigines--Valley of Mexico--Pizarro--The end of heroes--Retributive justice--Decadence of Spanish power--History of Cuba--The rovers of the gulf--Havana fortified--The tyrant Velasquez--Office of Captain-general--Loyalty of the Cubans--Power of the captain-general--Cupidity of the government--The slave-trade--The British take Havana--General Don Luis de las Casas--Don Francisco de Arranjo--Improvement, moral and physical, of Cuba, 9
The constitution of 1812--Revolution of La Granja--Political aspect of the island--Discontent among the Cubans--The example before them--Simon Bolivar, the Liberator--Revolutions of 1823 and 1826--General Lorenzo and the constitution--The assumption of extraordinary power by Tacon--Civil war threatened--Tacon sustained by royal authority--Despair of the Cubans--Military rule--A foreign press established--Programme of the liberal party--General O'Donnell--The spoils--Influence of the climate, 25
Armed intervention--Conspiracy of Cienfuegos and Trinidad--General Narciso Lopez--The author's views on the subject--Inducements to revolt--Enormous taxation--Scheme of the patriots--Lopez's first landing, in 1850--Taking of Cardinas--Return of the invaders--Effect upon the Cuban authorities--Roncali recalled--New captain-general--Lopez's second expedition--Condition of the Invaders--Vicissitudes--Col. Crittenden--Battle of Las Pozas--Superiority of courage--Battle of Las Frias--Death of Gen. Enna--The fearful finale of the expedition, 38
Present condition of Cuba--Secret treaty with France and England--British plan for the Africanization of the island--Sale of Cuba--Measures of General Pezuela--Registration of slaves--Intermarriage of blacks and whites--Contradictory proclamations--Spanish duplicity--A Creole's view of the crisis and the prospect, 54
Geographical position of the island--Its size--The climate--Advice to invalids--Glance at the principal cities--Matanzas--Puerto Principe--Santiago de Cuba--Trinidad--The writer's first view of Havana--Importance of the capital--Its literary institutions--Restriction on Cuban youths and education--Glance at the city streets--Style of architecture--Domestic arrangements of town houses--A word about Cuban ladies--Small feet--Grace of manners and general characteristics, 66